Membrane Models for Skin Penetration Studies

摘要

The results of research efforts into membrane models for skin penetration were reviewed. Eggshell membrane has been suggested as a model for human skin primarily because it consists of keratin. The membrane system was shown to contain both hydrated proteinaceous and lipoidal phases known to be present in stratum corneum, and was deemed potentially promising for skin transport studies. The use of two or more different membranes combined into a composite or laminate was investigated. A different approach was the use of a membrane composed of synthetic zeolites incorporated into a polystyrene matrix, but their future of skin transport studies did not appear promising. Experiments designed to assess how the skin permeability of phenol was changed by thermal injury indicated that solution phenomena were not able to provide a mechanism for the enhanced phenol permeability found with increased concentrations of phenol. The rotating diffusion cell (RDC) was a relatively new method for characterizing transport phenomena which has been used in model skin penetration studies. Developments which have occurred during the last few years in this field were also reviewed.